The Birthday Party
by Tricki
Summary: EO Post ep Contagious. This was certainly the best birthday he'd had in a VERY long time...


_**By Tricki…**_

**Okay, there's a sorta funny story behind this!** Just after I'd seenthe ep when Liv gets all the kids to have birthday cake for him (I can't for the life of me remember what it's called!) I wrote this. I was looking for this file on my laptop saying this modle of Sunglasses I really want (3 guesses whose !) and I found this and I thought I'd post it...

I tried to Beta it a bit but I just got off a plane, I've been awake for like 24hrs or more, I have jetlag and so I'm sorry for any screwups... (Not being sarcastic with that one...)

This is just fluff but hey!

Remember, I was like 13 so go easy on me and enjoy! Hey wow... This is my first SVU fic! Love to everyone especially my US sis, Mandi!

Anyway have fun...

"C'mon guys, let's get home." Olivia said, standing up and gathering the kids' jackets after much laughing and cake. She passed the twins their jackets and started to get them all ready to go.

"Yeah. Good idea." Elliot agreed, stretching and standing up.

Olivia began to herd Elliot's children down the stairs and out of the precinct when Elliot stopped her.

"Liv?" He asked grabbing her arm gently.

"Yeah?" She replied, turning to face him.

"Thank you." He said, kissing her gently.

"Ewww! Get a room guys!" One of the twins joked.

"So you guys are happy to stay with us this weekend?" Elliot asked his kids as they walked down the stairs to the car park.

"Yeah." Kathleen replied for all of them.

"Oh! I have to get Mum's car back tonight!" Maurine remembered suddenly.

"That's ok, how 'bout I follow you there in my car and then I'll take you back to your Dad's?"

"You sure Liv?" Maurine asked.

"Yeah. We won't all fit in the same car anyway." Liv said, smiling at Maurine.

"Ok, cool." Maurine replied.

"I'll see you back there." Elliot said, touching her back affectionately.

"Ok, I love you." She said quietly, secretly hoping the kids wouldn't hear. She knew that their parents' divorce had been hard on them and she didn't want to make it seem like Elliot was rushing into anything, well rushing into _their _thing.

"I love you too." He said before they went their separate ways (not as quietly as she had hoped).

Sometime later Olivia pulled up outside Kathy's house and waited patiently for Maurine to emerge.

"Hey." Maurine said as she climbed into the car.

"Hey. You ready to go?" Liv asked.

"Yeah." She smiled as she did up her seatbelt.

After a few minutes silence Olivia couldn't suppress her curiosity any longer.

"Maurine, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure." She replied almost cautiously.

"How do you feel about me and your dad?"

"I guess it's different for me because I saw their problems before the others. When they got divorced it just meant the end of all the tension. It's kind of weird seeing you two but it sort of makes sense. He's always been really comfortable with you, and I haven't seen him this happy in a long time." She said honestly. Olivia smiled to herself. She hadn't seen him this happy in a long time either.

"What…" She changed tack, "Do you know how the others feel about us?" She asked, wording her question carefully.

"A little uncomfortable but I think they realise that he's a lot happier as well. Mum is too." Olivia smiled and nodded as if she were glad but really she couldn't care less. Kathy was a bitch who had put the man she loved through far too much heartache. She wasn't worth the trouble she had caused.

"So they don't mind us…like staying with us and that sort of thing?" She asked still concentrating on the road.

"I think they'll get used to it pretty quickly. Maybe even by the end of the weekend." She said optimistically.

"So you don't mind…me?" She asked cautiously.

"Liv…I've known you for a long time, we all have. You're a good friend, you've taken care of us when we needed you, you've always looked out for us and you've been good to Dad. I think… we'll all get used to you being our second Mum, it just might take a while."

"That's really sweet. You know I've really enjoyed watching you grow up." She said smiling at Maurine.

"And I'm not sure I could be any prouder of you if you were my own." She said, reaching over and squeezing Maurine's hand breifly.

For the remainder of the ride they sat in a comfortable silence.

When Maurine and Olivia arrived home Elliot and the kids were playing Monopoly, they were almost finished. Maurine excused herself, yawning widely whileOlivia said she'd help the twins and Kathy gang up to beat Eliotand, as predicted, they beat him (or as Liv said later on when they weren't surrounded by children 'We beat your ass bad, baby…').

"Look at the time. I think you guys really need to get to bed." He said, noticing the enormous yawns which the kids were trying to disguise.

"Yeah, good call." Liv said, stifling a yawn of her own before being pulled onto her feet by Elliot and stretching.

After Elliot and Olivia had made sure the kids were all in bed and had said goodnight to them they went to bed themselves.

Olivia was already in her satin pyjamas and was sitting on the bed putting moisturiser on her forearms. Elliot was changing out of his work clothes.

"I can't believe that you helped the kids gang up on me!" Elliot joked.

"Hey, all's fair in love and war!" She laughed. Elliot shook his head and returned to removing his shoes.

"That doesn't make sense and you know it!" He laughed.

"Well all I know is that we beat your ass bad, baby." She grinned.

"Have I ever told you that you're the most beautiful woman in the world?" He asked, falling in love with the sparkle in her eye all over again.

"A couple of times." She smiled mischievously at him then something occurred to her,

"How many times did you tell Kathy that, though?" Elliot contorted his face in mock thought.

"None… I told her she was the most beautiful pregnant woman, most beautiful mother, most beautiful in her family but never just most beautiful woman… you were always there." He smiled and kissed her deeply. When they parted each went back to their own occupation.

"Liv?" Elliot asked when he was halfway through undoing his tie.

"Yeah?" She replied, looking up at him.

"Thanks…for today." He said earnestly.

"Anytime." She said smiling at him before returning to rubbing in her moisturiser.

"And Liv?" He said turning to her again.

"Mmm?" She said looking up at him again.

"You'll marry me one day won't you?" He asked gazing fondly at her.

"Of course. As soon as we're ready." She said gazing back at him equally as fondly.

"I love you Elliot." She said affectionately. He walked over to her and kissed her gently.

"I love you too Liv. More than you'll ever know…"


End file.
